Sneak peek of the new man?
Georginio Rutter is understood to have flown into West Yorkshire on Thursday afternoon. At the time of writing, his transfer to Leeds United had not been announced.
Depending on when that announcement is made or how discreet the Whites want to be, there is every chance the new striker is invited down to Villa Park to watch his new teammates in the flesh for the first time. Keep your eyes trained on the directors’ box.
Another Villa Park madness?
The last time United visited Aston Villa we saw Daniel James score a rare brace, with an even rarer headed goal, and an equaliser from Diego Llorente. While the heart and fight shown by the team could not be doubted, the ease with which the hosts raced into a 3-1 lead proved immensely troubling for Andrea Radrizzani.
READ MORE: Leeds United line-ups vs Aston Villa as Max Wober and Jack Harrison headline nine changes
Months later, the Italian would confirm the manner of this performance planted the seed which grew into the sacking of Marcelo Bielsa. This is not a must-win match for Jesse Marsch, indeed a draw at Unai Emery’s side would be a decent outcome, but a heavy or chaotic loss will inevitably turn the screw on the American.
How long does Wober get?
Max Wober was decent on his debut from the bench at Championship Cardiff City on Sunday. Marsch said he had to ask the Austrian how long he felt he could manage and while Wober fancied a half, the head coach held him back to half an hour.
With Liam Cooper back in contention it seems a leap to expect a rusty Wober to start in the backline at Villa. Midfield may be another temptation, but Marsch’s system has generally favoured attack-minded players in that role Crysencio Summerville will vacate.
Who does replace Summerville?
The smart money seems to be on either Brenden Aaronson or Jack Harrison dropping back into that midfield three. With Summerville tasked with tucking in out of possession and springing out as a winger with the ball, that pair seems to fit the bill best.
Adam Forshaw seems a risk to start after surgery last week, while Wober may be too defensively-minded.
Does Bamford get a run out?
More than two months on from his last appearance, Patrick Bamford is finally back in the Leeds squad. Bamford is sure to have been tested and pushed across the past week to really check how ready he is, so if he's on the bench he’s there to be used by Marsch.
That's not to say Marsch will be careless with his number nine. He knows the striker has to be managed and based on previous comebacks he’s made, you would not be surprised if Marsch gave him no more than 10 minutes at the end of the match.
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